Title supplied by cataloger. Harry Chandler (1864-1944) was a newspaper publisher and investor who became owner of the largest real estate empire in the United States. He was born in New Hampshire and attended Dartmouth College, eventually moving to Los Angeles for health reasons. Harry supported himself by working in the fruit fields picking oranges, and eventually started a small delivery company that was responsible for delivering many of the city's morning newspapers. It was during the period that Harry met Harrison Gray Otis, publisher of the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Otis took a liking to Harry and hired him as the Times' general manager. When Harry became circulation manager in 1885, the newspaper had a daily circulation of 1,400 readers (upon his death, daily circulation had skyrocketed to 325,000). In 1894, Harry married Otis' eldest daughter Marian, Secretary of the Times-Mirror Company (formerly the publishing company of the Los Angeles Times). Upon Otis' death in 1917, Harry took over as publisher of the Times and during his tenure, transformed it into the leading newspaper of the West. In addition, he had always been a smart investor and would become directly involved with helping to found: the Los Angeles Coliseum; Biltmore Hotel; Douglas Aircraft Company; Hollywood Bowl; Ambassador Hotel; California Institute of Technology (Caltech); Auto Club of Southern California; KHJ radio station; Trans World Airlines; San Pedro Harbor; Los Angeles Athletic Club; California Club; Pacific Electric Cars; Los Angeles Art Association; Santa Anita Park racetrack; Los Angeles Steamship Company; Ahwahnee Hotel (in Yosemite National Park); restoration of Olvera Street and Chinatown, etc. And as a real estate investor, he was a partner in syndicates that owned and developed: much of the San Fernando Valley; the Hollywood Hills; Mulholland Drive; much of Dana Point; the Tejon Ranch; the Vermejo Park Ranch; and the C&M Ranch. At one point, these investments made him the largest private landowner in the U.S. During their marriage, Harry and Marian had eight children, the oldest being Norman, who would follow in his fathers footsteps as publisher of the Times (and would marry Dorothy Buffum, namesake of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion). Harry Chandler died in 1944 at the age of 80; Marian died eight years later, in 1952 at the age of 86. At the time of his death, Harry's personal fortune was estimated to range from $200 to $500 million dollars. Both Harry and Marian are buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Santa Monica Boulevard. Photograph of Los Angeles Times publisher, Harry Chandler and his family. Pictured from left to right are: Alice May (extreme left); Harry (in dark suit); Helen (youngest girl in front of Harry, and twin of Phillip); Ruth (sitting at very front); Harrison Gray (young boy next to Harry); Francesca ("Frances", standing behind Harrison Gray); Phillip (young boy next to Marian, and twin of Helen); Emma Marian (sitting, wearing white dress); Norman (behind Marian, oldest boy), and Constance (sitting on extreme right).
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Chandler, Marian Otis Chandler, Harry,--1864-1944 Publishers and publishing--United States Newspaper editors--United States Families--California--Los Angeles Group portraits Portrait photographs
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